Arnold, MPG Win Bahamas $10M Tourism Business

Weber Shandwick Retains PR Duties for Islands

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Havas' Arnold Worldwide and MPG have picked up the $10 million advertising account for the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation after a review.

Arnold, Washington, will be responsible for strategic and creative development of North American advertising for the islands, while MPG's Boston office -- along with Havas sibling, Media Contacts -- will handle the media-planning and buying portions of the account. Weber Shandwick will remain the islands' PR agency of record.

Integrated campaign in '08
The agencies are expected to launch an integrated campaign for the Bahamas, which span more than 700 islands, in 2008. The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation last year spent $9.4 million on U.S. measured media, according to TNS Media Intelligence.

According to a spokeswoman, the islands' tourism and aviation arm placed its ad account into review this summer, reaching out to 10 agencies with a request for proposal. In addition to Arnold, a shortlist of those of those vying for the account included: Interpublic Group of Cos.' Deutsch, MDC's Kirshenbaum Bond & Partners. R&R Partners, Las Vegas and Y Partnership, Orlando.

Exporting the brand
"Tourism is not only big business for us in the Bahamas, but it is also a currency that we use to export our brand and our culture," Vernice Walkine, director general at the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation, said in a statement.

"We are ecstatic to represent the Bahamas and respect the serious responsibility upon us of promoting a country where tourism is the nation's largest industry," Woody Kay, chief creative officer at Arnold D.C. said in a statement.

Other accounts at Arnold in the tourism category include Amtrak, Choice Hotels International and Colonial Williamsburg.